SUMMER FINE SALE HIGHLIGHTS

Our Summer Fine Sale produced a plethora of stellar results across all departments.

Our Jewellery & Watches department saw dedicated bidding both from online platforms, phone and room bidders. Headed by a private collection of fine rings, brooches, bracelets and more, with examples ranging from Georgian accoutrements to Art Nouveau pieces, many skyrocketed past their estimates.

The star lot of the sale and the ultimate in metamorphic jewels was undoubtedly a Diamond and Pearl Tiara by Garrard & Co. Though multiple phone bidders vied for the stunning piece, after a 5-minute battle, the winning bid came from an overseas client, selling for a total of £41,216*.

Lot 810: A Garrard & Co Pearl and Diamond Tiara 

Our 180 lot Paintings department had myriad top quality works from renowned artists on offer. One such work, lot 1037, a fine charcoal and pastel portrait of a General by the orientalist artist John Frederick Lewis RA, which came directly from the descendants of the family, sparked an intense bidding frenzy, selling for £19,320*.

Lot 1037: Portrait of a General, John Frederick Lewis RA

Quality works from the Scottish Colourists continue to perform well: George Leslie Hunter’s study of a Flower Market sold for £3,606*, Samuel John Peploe’s The Pantheon from The Jardin De Luxembourg achieved £1,674*, and a fine study of Iona by Frances Campbell Boileau Cadell soared to £12,588*.

Works by the late Dame Elizabeth Blackadder achieved strong market prices. Her well-known and expertly composed watercolours of cats and flowers, such as lot 1001 and 1119, sold for £15,456* and £10,948* respectively.

A private collection of 18th century English ceramics attracted competitive bidding in our Ceramics department, with lot 220 selling for £1,416*.

An English delft apothecary jar (lot 318), a rare example of its type, dated 1723, sparked an intense phone bidding war, selling for £20,608*, over five times the high estimate.
Early samplers continue to perform well in our Collectables department, with lot 672 selling for £2,318*.

Lot 318: An English Delft dated polychrome drug jar

Found at the bottom of a box, The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith, published London 1759 (lot 604) saw multiple phone lines vie for the book, unusually well preserved, which achieved a price of £17,388*.

Lot 604: The Theory of Moral Sentiments, by Adam Smith

Giltwood framed mirrors continued to attract attention in our furniture department, with lot 73 selling for £3,220*. Howard & Sons chairs (lot 58 & 59) produced strong results, achieving £1,932*. A Victorian cast iron garden bench (lot 67) was the star lot of the department, selling for £4,894*.

Full results from our Summer Fine Sale can be viewed here.